"You're saying you can take Mansashinui with you?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
"No matter how skilled you are, that's an outrageously arrogant statement. This is the Imperial Palace."
Indeed, the security here would be beyond comparison with any other place.
At the King of Gyeong's slightly cold response, I replied in a respectful tone.
"I believe Your Highness is well aware that disguising oneself as another is not such a difficult task."
At this, the King of Gyeong, who had been staring intently at me, seemed to understand and nodded.
"Ah, I momentarily overlooked your capabilities."
He clearly hadn't considered the ability to impersonate others.
Then his eyes widened slightly as if recalling something and he asked,
"You... could it be..."
He stopped exactly at that point.
Shaking his head, he said,
"No, it can't be."
Somehow, I knew what he was about to say.
He was going to ask if I could impersonate His Majesty—the Emperor.
– The Emperor?
Exactly.
Instead of mobilizing a large army, one decree from the Emperor could resolve everything.
– Oh? That's an option too.
But the fact he stopped mid-sentence likely means he doesn't want me to become the Crown Prince in that manner.
To be honest, since he had killed both Prince Jin and Prince Yeong to seize power, I thought he might even aim for the throne itself. But it seems not.
Regardless of justification, perhaps he still acknowledges the Emperor as his father.
The King of Gyeong, having shaken his head, changed the subject.
"Still, I'm not sure if things will go the way you want."
"What do you mean?"
"Of all the spies who infiltrated the Inner Palace, I've never seen a single one make it back out."
The Inner Palace.
Indeed, not even the spies of the main school have entered there.
No, they did enter, but all contact was lost shortly after.
As no one could explain it, the school attempted to infiltrate several times—eventually giving up.
– Could it be tied to some hidden power of the palace?
It might be.
Seolbaek also told me once—
Even the former Emperor didn't dare send subordinates directly into the Inner Palace, which suggests something secret is hidden within.
– Maybe that's why teleportation doesn't work either.
That could be the case.
Perhaps the King of Gyeong knows something—might as well try asking.
"Does Your Highness know the reason?"
"Heh. I cannot tell you that."
"Pardon?"
"No matter how fond I am of you, how could I reveal all the secrets of the Imperial family?"
"…I understand."
That's fair.
Revealing the secret could become a vulnerability.
If he were to become Emperor, that hidden power would be his—so not sharing it makes perfect sense.
"Anyway, you got on the carriage with me despite rejecting my offer—clearly, you have something in mind."
As expected, he's perceptive.
Just taking Mansashinui isn't worth it.
After all, those targeting him aren't limited to enemies of the royal family.
Since there's no need to hide it, I spoke frankly.
"There's something you must know first."
"What is it?"
"He has made his move."
"Him? Don't tell me…"
"Yes. It's exactly who you're thinking of. He's moving Prince Yeong this time."
The King of Gyeong's face turned grave.
Not only had that person previously sent an assassin under his command, but had also manipulated Prince Jin, putting him in a dire situation.
"He's after Mansashinui like you?"
"At first, I thought that was all. But now it seems to go beyond that."
"Beyond that?"
"As Your Highness mentioned earlier—this sudden summons of all princes in the middle of the night—it likely relates to that."
And the increased palace security is probably related too.
Anything could happen tonight.
The King of Gyeong clicked his tongue and muttered,
"I did think it was strange. That you would appear at this exact time."
"I feel the same."
I had only come to extract Mansashinui, but ended up encountering the King of Gyeong here—when I thought he'd be in Muhansi.
This can't be mere coincidence.
The King of Gyeong also seemed to realize this. He frowned, then let out a short laugh.
"You know how to increase your worth."
"I'm telling you because you should know."
"So I'm the one who's become desperate now. Fine—tell me what you want."
"There are three things."
"Three? Ha! Don't you think that's a bit greedy?"
"One, as you already know, is to take Mansashinui. Another is to share even a bit of the Inner Palace's secrets—for His Majesty's protection."
"The Inner Palace's secrets…"
"In the end, I only want one thing."
At my reply, the King of Gyeong clicked his tongue.
"You're the only one who'd dare play such obvious games against me."
"I'm honored."
Shaking his head, he asked again.
"Very well. What is it that you want?"
Truthfully, I didn't have much I wanted from him.
He had already declared non-aggression between the martial world and the government.
So I just wanted to resolve a question from the rumors I'd heard.
"I've heard the royal treasury contains countless treasures from across the Central Plains—including rare elixirs and lost martial arts manuals."
The King of Gyeong chuckled.
"You want to go in there?"
"If I do, may I take what I want?"
"Only the Emperor and his heir, the Crown Prince, can enter the royal treasury."
"Tonight, the Crown Prince will be chosen."
At my straightforward response, a small smile crept up his lips.
He didn't seem displeased.
He nodded and said openly,
"Fine. If I survive tonight and become Crown Prince, I'll permit you access to the royal treasury—and you may take as much as you can carry out."
"As much as I can carry?"
"Did you think me so stingy? Whatever you can hold in your hands—you may take."
'!?'
At those words, I suppressed laughter inside.
I only asked to take one item, but he went ahead and made such a generous promise.
– Puhahaha! You're gonna take a ton, aren't you?
I could fill my magical pouch—which can hold anything—and walk out with it.
Without showing a hint of this, I responded calmly.
"Thank you. Please make sure to keep that promise."
"As long as you don't try to drag in a wagon."
At the King of Gyeong's half-joking remark, I simply smiled.
Just then, the carriage, which had been moving for quite a while, came to a stop again.
That could only mean one thing.
"We must be entering the Inner Palace."
The Imperial Palace is divided into the Outer and Inner Palace.
The Outer Palace houses various departments and agencies, while the Inner Palace contains the throne hall and all buildings related to the royal family.
While it might not sound like much, I've heard the Inner Palace alone spans well over a million square meters.
– From here, we'll escort you.
A voice came from outside the carriage.
It was likely the Geumuiwi, the Emperor's personal guard, who manage the Inner Palace.
While officials can move freely through the Outer Palace, entry into the Inner Palace is restricted to royal family members and those with permission.
– Knock knock!
Someone knocked on the carriage.
– I am Cheonho (Thousand-Household Officer) Wi Gung-hyeon, in charge of Inner Palace inspection. Your Highness, I'll inspect the carriage briefly.
The King of Gyeong gave me a glance, then answered,
"So be it."
The carriage door opened, and a burly man with a stern expression entered.
After bowing respectfully to the King, he stared at my face with suspicion.
Perhaps it was because I looked like a woman dressed in a Wimusa uniform.
So I spoke.
"Has the hierarchy of the Geumuiwi fallen so low?"
"What?"
"You see the official robes, and yet you stare so rudely?"
Annoyed, Wi Gung-hyeon twitched his lips, then reluctantly cupped his hands in salute.
My rank was Jong-sa class—only seven ranks from the top within the Geumuiwi—so I was indeed above him and deserved proper respect.
After inspecting the inside of the carriage, Cheonho Wi Gung-hyeon held out his hand with a gruff tone.
"I'll collect your sword."
At this, the King of Gyeong frowned.
"How dare you take the sword of my guard?"
"It's His Majesty's order."
"His Majesty's?"
Hearing it was the Emperor's command, the King of Gyeong fell silent.
He had no authority to refuse.
I handed over the Wimusa's sword standing next to me.
It wasn't mine anyway, so I didn't mind parting with it.
"Is that all?"
At the King's question, Wi Gung-hyeon inspected my robe carefully again.
He was likely checking for hidden daggers or short swords.
But, not knowing, the King was visibly tense—worried something hidden might be found.
Unbeknownst to him, I had already stored Sodamgeom, my blade, inside the bottomless pouch sewn into my clothes.
After eyeing me for a while, Wi Gung-hyeon bowed to the King and said,
"Then, we'll escort you into the Inner Palace."
At that, the King of Gyeong let out a faint sigh of relief and asked,
"Where is the Northern Suppression Officer?"
"He is believed to be in the Grand Hall."
"Very well."
"Then I'll close the carriage door now."
With that, Cheonho Wi Gung-hyeon shut the carriage door and stepped back.
From up front, there was the rustling sound of the coachman being replaced by a member of the Imperial Guards (Geumuiwi).
Soon after, the sound of the inner palace gate opening was heard, and the carriage began to move forward.
Prince Gyeong spoke to me in a quiet voice.
"Thank goodness. At least the dagger wasn't discovered."
Not just the dagger—every weapon I had was hidden in my clothing.
There was no reason to tell him that, so I simply nodded.
As the carriage crossed the drawbridge of the palace gate, it rattled more than when running on plain ground.
Prince Gyeong spoke to me again.
"Earlier, you said you wanted to know the secrets of the inner palace?"
"It's because I must protect Your Highness."
"If what I've heard is true, you'll understand soon enough once we cross this drawbridge."
I couldn't quite grasp what he meant.
Eventually, the rattling lessened, and the carriage seemed to touch solid ground.
At that moment, I couldn't help but frown in confusion.
'My internal energy?'
The internal energy in my danjeon began to disperse, as if it had been poisoned or infected with San Gong Poison.
Even when I tried to circulate my qi to prevent it from scattering, it was no use.
Seeing my reaction, Prince Gyeong clicked his tongue.
"So the rumors were true."
"What?"
"I've heard that within the inner palace, no one can use their internal energy except for members of the imperial family and a few royal guards."
"..."
What kind of power is at work here?
I had sensed something strange when my body techniques failed earlier, but I never expected an effect like this, as if I had been poisoned, just from entering the inner palace.
Prince Gyeong said to me,
"But you're a martial master of unmatched skill—surely your external techniques are just as refined?"
"I won't deny it."
"Then it's the same for everyone."
As he said, if internal energy can't be used inside the inner palace, then it applies to everyone equally.
"Yeonsaeng, you only need to protect me. Everything else will be handled by Bo Wonchan, the Northern True Martial Guard."
"Ah…"
This is what Prince Gyeong had been counting on.
Among the Geumuiwi, the two most elite warriors were the Southern and Northern True Martial Guards.
Above them were higher-ranking officials like inspectors and commanders, but those positions were closer to eunuchs, and the real authority lay with the True Martial Guards.
Prince Gyeong had managed to win over one of the guards who protected the emperor himself—hence his composure.
That means the Geumuiwi under the Northern Guard's command were likely aligned with Prince Gyeong.
"Though he's not an official checkpoint officer, the one leading the carriage has already been prepped by Bo Wonchan. So rest assured."
Prince Gyeong had made thorough preparations.
"Then is this carriage heading toward the main hall?"
"Since His Majesty summoned us, I'd assume so…"
Right at that moment—
Screech!
The carriage, which had been moving forward, suddenly came to a halt.
From outside, the voice of the Geumuiwi leading the carriage was heard.
—"Your Highness, we've arrived. Please step out."
"What?"
Prince Gyeong frowned.
It hadn't been long since the carriage began moving. To be told to get out now—anyone would find that suspicious.
He spoke to me in a grave voice.
"Something's gone wrong."
"It seems that way."
"…Can you still protect me until we reach the main hall?"
"I gave my word—I'll keep it."
"Good. Then find an opportunity and take control of the carriage."
With those words, Prince Gyeong boldly opened the carriage door and stepped outside.
I followed right behind him, only to see that the carriage was completely surrounded by over a hundred Geumuiwi soldiers.
That much had been expected—but what lay beyond them was the real issue.
"Ha!"
Prince Gyeong let out a bitter laugh.
Behind the circle of guards were several large wagons piled high with corpses.
The bodies were dressed like imperial princes, just like Prince Gyeong.
He hadn't expected such a bold move right at the gates of the inner palace—and Prince Gyeong trembled with rage.
From between the guards, someone walked in.
A middle-aged man in dazzling armor, followed by a burly-looking Geumuiwi—he was Cheonho Wi Goonghyun, the checkpoint officer of the inner palace.
"Southern True Martial Guard!"
Prince Gyeong raised his voice as he recognized the man.
It seemed this was the Southern True Martial Guard, one of the two top warriors.
"Your subject, Southern True Martial Guard Donghyeon of the Geumuiwi, greets Prince Gyeong."
Even as he bowed respectfully, Prince Gyeong shouted,
"Is this the Empress Dowager's doing? Or Prince Yeong's?"
To that blunt question, Donghyeon dropped the formalities and replied,
"Would it change anything if you knew?"
His mocking tone made Prince Gyeong's expression grow cold.
Despite his anger, Prince Gyeong kept his composure.
"You're one of the emperor's guards. Do you really think this is acceptable?"
"That's not something Your Highness should say."
A jab—he was calling out Prince Gyeong's own scheming with the Northern Guard.
Shiiing!
Donghyeon drew his sword and declared,
"I merely follow the orders of the bearer of the imperial seal. Please, do not resent me."
At his signal, the surrounding guards closed in.
Then Cheonho Wi Goonghyun stepped forward, drawing his sword and sneering.
"You ran your mouth pretty well earlier, didn't you, wench?"
He must've held a grudge from earlier.
Pointing his sword at me, he snarled mockingly,
"Strip."
"…?"
"A mere woman dares to wear the uniform of a high-ranking Geumuiwi? Take it off and crawl naked between my legs."
"How dare you!"
That outburst came from Prince Gyeong, barely able to contain his fury.
Regardless of gender, the fact that someone he appointed as guard was being insulted enraged him.
But Wi Goonghyun kept talking.
"Crawl between my legs like the meek dog you are, and maybe I'll spare your life. Hahahaha!"
Some of the guards around him laughed as well.
Even in this humiliating situation, Prince Gyeong discreetly glanced at me.
His eyes pointed toward the carriage.
He wanted me to seize it.
So I asked aloud,
"Before I take the carriage, may I dispose of all of them first?"
"What?"
Prince Gyeong looked at me with a confused expression.
At that moment, Wi Goonghyun charged at me, shouting,
"You insolent wench! Still don't know your—!"
Crack!
He didn't even finish the sentence.
His body jerked like a puppet with its strings cut, blood spurting everywhere, and collapsed to the ground.
In my hand was his torn-off head.
"Phew. Quiet now."
'!!!'
The Geumuiwi were stunned at the sight that happened in the blink of an eye.
Even Prince Gyeong was shocked.
"...How?"
They couldn't understand how I displayed such power inside the inner palace, where internal energy was unusable.
Naturally, I couldn't use internal energy either.
But for some reason, the innate qi stored in my middle danjeon hadn't dispersed.
"Ki—kill her!"
Recovering from his shock, Donghyeon shouted and pointed at me.
The hesitant guards began rushing in.
I casually tossed Wi Goonghyun's head aside and flicked my finger.
Snap!
In that instant, all the hundred or so charging guards rolled their eyes and collapsed.
Thud! Thud!
It worked—fortunately, I was still able to use the Jeongyo Hwanikyeong.
"Wh-what is this…"
As the elite guards all fell unconscious in an instant, Donghyeon's smug face turned deathly pale.
On the other hand, Prince Gyeong's face lit up with hope.
"I believed in you, Yeonsaeng."